Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

What a wonderful story and special friend to have tell it.  :)  I can relate to 
you, Lynelle.  I need to lose about 30 lbs (I'm 5'3" & 160 lbs) so I can't have 
the bypass surgery, but I can relate to how hard it is to ride with even a few 
extra pounds and how hard it is to slim down.  Still working at it here.

I can also relate to the portion of the story about your mare.  I laughed when 
I read the part about acquiring a taste for dirt.  I decided to get back into 
horses after an 18-year break, raising my kids, and I bought a "kid-safe" Arab 
mare named Ember (kid-safe by who's standards?!).  She was an experienced 
endurance horse, but I had no intention of riding endurance!!  I just wanted a 
nice trail horse that wasn't a deadhead.  Well, unbeknownst to me, I was in for 
the ride of my life!!  LOL
To make a long story short, I hit the sky about 5 times in the first year of 
owning her.  I put an ad to sell her on 'dreamhorse.com' about 3 different 
times and then would pull it because things were "going better" and the truth 
was, she was growing on me and I realized I enjoyed the challenge.  I still had 
some weird little rodeo's with her, but I refused to give up because I knew of 
her potential and as time went by, she pushed ME to regain my confidence, and 
take the plunge into endurance.  I did my first 30-miler in Nov 07 and had a 
BLAST!!  I'm addicted to this sport now.  I've done 4 LD's so far now.  I 
finally discovered that once she and I got on the same page and I gave her back 
the job she loved, we became one.  That doesn't mean we don't butt heads once 
in awhile and that I don't still hit the sky on occasion (I don't come off as 
easily as I did at first =).  But now if she gets "pitchy" I know she's just 
excited and feeling good (not necessarily the best way to show it, but I 
understand it and know that she's not being malicious).  These sensitive Arabs 
will detect the slightest apprehension on our part and react accordingly so our 
beginning was a rocky one!

I don't know you, but I'm so proud of you too and I wish the best on your 
upcoming ride(s).  :)

Carrie Kitley
30th Medical Group, Vandenberg AFB
DMLSS?Database Sustainment Specialist (DSS) 
CACI?International Inc? www.caci.com
dsn?276-1077, Comm (805) 606-1077
fax dsn?276-1179
<\_~
// \\

carrie.kitley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?


-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Lynelle Robertson
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2008 12:15 PM
To: ridecamp; Lynelle Robertson NZ; Ranelle Rubin
Subject: Re: [RC] From Show Ring Exhibitor to Endurance Rider-My 
Congratulations to Lynelle Robertson-long story!

Oh my god Ranelle, how do I explain at work why I am sitting here crying like a 
baby over this story. Reading it is like an out of body experience. LOL It has 
indeed been a journey one that I could not have made with out you and Kathy 
Sherman for hooking us up.I was indeed ready to take Sierra to the meat auction 
and did not care if I only got $50.00 for her. I can't tell anyone what it is 
like to go from a size 24 to 10 plus not being able to mount your horse with 
out a big step stool. The shoulder surgery (torn rotator cuff) was the result 
of her dumping me 3 times in 2 weeks. When I look back at the fat person 
photo's I can't believe it was me. I am half my former self. At that point 
riding in the arena had me out of breath and both knees hurting. I now know I 
can 50 miles and maby just maybe the Tevis in a year or two who knows. I have 
never met a kinder and more helpful group of people(endurance riders and their 
families). The national level of showing is cut throat and no one is your 
friend esp if you get the blue ribbons. Thank you all for your support and 
payers for my first ride. My favorite quote is " If God doesn't have horses in 
heaven then I don't want to go"

--- On Tue, 6/17/08, Ranelle Rubin <raneller@xxxxxxx> wrote:


       From: Ranelle Rubin <raneller@xxxxxxx>
       Subject: [RC] From Show Ring Exhibitor to Endurance Rider-My 
Congratulations to Lynelle Robertson-long story!
       To: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Lynelle Robertson NZ" 
<lynellerobertson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
       Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2008, 11:28 AM
       
       
       This is the story of an uncommon woman. Her name is Lynelle Robertson 
and she has loved and had horses most of her life. She has had Gaited horses, 
(MFT's), Quarter horses, and participated at many levels from team penning, 
halter, reining, etc. 
       
       She moved to Cool, CA (to those of you outside the area, this is Tevis 
country) and discovered just about everyone rode Arabs. She developed a vision 
of owning a "Grey Arab Mare" and trying her hand at endurance. She bought a 
lovely SENSITIVE mare named Mystic Sierra. She sent this mare to what she was 
told were great trainers, did everything she knew to do to develop her horse, 
and lo and behold, the mare and her did not get along. After the third or 
fourth time of tasting dust, Lynelle had to make a tough decision.
       
       She was wise enough to know that she needed to find this mare a "new 
friend" because Sierra certainly did not want to be HER friend. Lynelle was 
honest with everyone who inquired about the mare, so therefore she was unable 
to sell her. She was about at the end of her rope, so to speak when Kathy 
Sherman heard about her. Kathy sent me a flyer Lynelle had online to see if I 
knew anyone. One line on the flyer stuck out: "Will trade for older, safe trail 
horse". OK..now we're talking..I happened to have just what she was looking 
for, a 17 yr old retired endurance horse anyone could ride. I recognized the 
mare as I had seen her out on the trail being ridden by a cowboy with a "big 
bit and bigger spurs"..so I had an idea why this mare was so "sensitive"..duh! 
I sent her some pictures of Stellar, and we arranged a test ride in Cool. She 
was instantly comfortable on him, so I left him with her and brought the mare 
home that day on a 30 day trial. I knew I could deal with the mare, but I 
needed to be sure she really wanted Stellar.
       
       Fast forward a few years: 
       
       Lynelle and I traded horses permanently. She rode my retired endurance 
horse and got her confidence back, and I rehabbed the mare with a lot of slow 
relaxing rides, camping, and TTouch work. I sold Sierra to a lady who had seen 
her at a ride with the idiot trainer and admired her. Lynelle sold Stellar to a 
teenage boy who loves him to pieces to buy another grey mare! This lady was 
determined!
       
       Now, for the transformation: 5 years ago, Lynelle had gastric bypass 
surgery to assist her in losing 130 lbs (I have her permission to share this to 
inspire anyone who it helps). Her top weight was 276 lbs in 1994. She is doing 
her first 25 mile ride this weekend at Mt. Diablo at age 58 and a much lighter, 
more fit lady to be sure! I will post her "before and after" photos next week.
       
       When we started riding together early last fall just after her purchase 
of a Wiking Daughter we call "Go Mare", she was riding in jeans and cowboy 
boots. When we were walking down a steep trail and she said her feet hurt, I 
showed her the trail running shoes I ride in. When she got raspberries on the 
inside of her knees, I shared with her the comfort of riding tights. When she 
said she didn't like to drink too much on the trail (said she was a camel and 
didn't need to), I reminded her that just like her horse, she could get in 
trouble with dehydration, so she must learn to drink. On a side note, I later 
figured out she was just too modest to pee on the side of the trail..! She now 
rides in tights, tennis shoe-like hiking boots, and carries water and food! 
(and yes, she has learned to pee on the trail)
       
       She has been the most coachable person I have ever met. She listened, 
learned, absorbed, practiced, and now she is ready for the test. Her mare is in 
awesome shape-could easily do a 50. I suggested to Lynelle that she do the 25 
for her own sake so she can succeed and then have a better idea of what her 
body can do. We have done the distance in training several times, each time a 
little faster or on more difficult terrain. She joined two friends of mine and 
I on a training ride two weeks ago so she could experience riding with a group 
of horses she did not know. She and Go Mare did great! She crewed with me for 
four horses at the American River Ride in April, and learned alot..! She had 
shoulder surgery last November and poured through all my past EN issues 
diligently while she couldn't do anything else. She is ready..she is 
WOMAN..HEAR HER ROAR!
       
       I would like to request all of you in Ridecamp send good thoughts to 
her this Saturday morning as she joins us in our passion for our sport. (She 
wears purple if that helps you visualize her riding her Grey Mare) Please feel 
free to post any suggestions, or moments that made a difference to you on your 
first ride. I have tears in my eyes as I imagine her crossing the finish with a 
huge smile on her face!! I am so intensely proud of her accomplishment!!
       
       Happy Trails Lady..! You deserve it!
       
       
       
       Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway. ~ John Wayne
       
       
       Ranelle Rubin, Business Consultant 
       
       http://www.rrubinconsulting.com 
       Independent Dynamite Distributor 
       raneller@xxxxxxx 
       
       530-885-3510 home office 
       916-718-2427 cellular 
       916-848-3662 fax 
       
       



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